A Roman Catholic priest was sentenced Friday to one year in the Milwaukee County House of Correction for molesting a 15-year-old boy at the Mother of Good Counsel Church in 1985.

The Rev. Dennis Pecore, 36, a member of the Salvatorians, had pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree sexual assault. Pecore, who has been removed from the parish, will have work release privileges and was also put on probation for five years.

The youth, now 17, asked the priest be punished before the sentence was handed down.

" Father Dennis hurt me very much and I want him to be punished," the boy said. "Because I don't want him to hurt other people like myself. I want to put an end to this."

The presentence report recommended only probation but Circuit Judge Robert W. Landry said some term of incarceration was warranted because of the damage done to the boy and his family.

Pecore before sentencing said the incident shamed him but he still felt, "God really loves me. I do pray for the well-being of the young man and his family."

Pecore will be allowed to attend classes at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on work release.

The priest had been charged with only one count of assault but officials said there had been an ongoing sexual relationship.